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HootSuite’s Ow.ly Shortener Just Got Better

HootSuite has been my favorite Twitter application for months. I highly recommend using HootSuite to monitor your Twitter activity and to make sure you don't miss any @mentions. HootSuite allows you to view multiple columns of activity on your desktop at once which will make you a Power Twitter User in no time. If you want to see HootSuite in action, watch my video tutorial on HootSuite.

Ow.ly vs. Ht.ly

HootSuite provides tracking to links that you share using the Ow.ly link shortener which you can easily grab right from the interface. In the past, if someone clicked your Ow.ly shortened link, they would open the webpage with a sharing bar at the top. Now HootSuite users have the option to turn off the sharing bar for their links.

In this image notice that Ow.ly shortened links will not have the social sharing bar. If you want to include the social bar use the Ht.ly shortener instead.

I think this is a very positive move in the right direction for HootSuite users and I will certainly use the Ow.ly shortener from now on. Of course I can change my mind (which I really do quite often) and switch back and forth. You can still use HootSuite's fantastic tracking tools, no matter which shortener you pick.

Social Integration with HootSuite

HootSuite is more than just Twitter, you can integrate other social networks as well including your WordPress blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and more. Have fun with HootSuite!

I'm a blogger, podcaster, YouTuber and social media diva (or Social Media Veteran if you like the way that sounds better). True story: I started blogging by accident when I actually thought I was "subscribing" to my daughter Nicole's first blog. Since then I'm committed to helping others avoid all the mistakes I've made along the way. Get one-on-one coaching and exclusive perks when you join my community on Patreon!

Comments

I am going to use Ht.ly, I have Bit.Ly if I want URL redirect, I liked using Ow.ly specifically for the toolbar. Of most interest to me is when custom branding of Ht.ly toolbar for your website or business will be offered.

Hey Dave O, it’s my pleasure to spread the news about a product that I enjoy using on a daily basis. Thanks for putting out a quality service. I love the way your guy respond to the needs of your users.

Nice one. I have been using hootsuite for quite some time now for social media marketing. I am currently checking in on book stores and even garage sales for books about twitter and how I can fully use it’s potential. It’s always good to get the edge by getting the latest news and updates. Thank you!

With the current news of Hootsuite becoming Premium from Fremium I believe this shortener won;t make a difference for me. I used to be an avid lover of Hootsuite since it was free and 1 of the best Twitter web client for managing multiple twitter profile + auto RSS feeding..

Harsh, I agree. I’m really disappointed to hear that HootSuite will be charging for Premium access to multiple social network accounts. It’s going to be very interesting to see how long that will last. It’s a great tool but I’m sure those of us that love it so much will find other alternatives.

There’s an interesting Twitter app that I beta tested that you might want to take a look at. It’s not a replacement for HootSuite but it’s got some powerful features. Check out Twylah when you get a chance and let me know what you think.

I have been a Hootsuite user for a couple of weeks now and love it! But I was confused with the difference between ow.ly and ht.ly and you cleared that up for me. Dumb, I never clicked on my own links to see the social bar at the top when I use ht.ly. Shortening the links to either is so easy when you use Hootsuite. I was using bit.ly and hated going back and forth between the 2.
Update for free Hootsuite: the allow access/streams for
Twitter
Facebook
Linkdin
Myspace
Pingfm
Wordpress
Foursquare
THX!

Hi Allie, glad I cleared up the difference between ow.ly and ht.ly for you. It’s funny how I wrote this post months ago (I actually imported it from an old blog) but it’s one that brings in search traffic. HA!

I have been using hootsuite for a couple of weeks now and do share your love for it. One downside to the ow.ly integration that I’ve found is that although hootsuite says that using ow.ly links will automatically pull into analytics, any custom analytic reports that I build in hootsuite show “zero” traffic from ow.ly links. But if I go into the individual ow.ly links I’m seeing linkbacks of 100+ hits.

Hopefully hootsuite will correct soon, as their interface and visualization tools are top notch.

Choice is always good in any situation. URL shorteners are definitely of great importance as for statistics, branding, and convenience. Both Ow.ly and Ht.ly continue to provide deep click-through statistics. It’s important to note though that using the social bar with Ht.ly doesn’t create that much impact as far as SEO is concerned. Most search engine spiders are passed straight through for indexing and ranking.

I started using hootsuite after reading this post and frankly speaking its awesome. i can now manage social media very easily and without any fuzz. i loved its mobile app.
Thanks for the info
Sourabh

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About Ms. Ileane

I'm a blogger, podcaster, YouTuber and social media diva (or Social Media Veteran if you like the way that sounds better). True story: I started blogging by accident when I actually thought I was "subscribing" to my daughter Nicole's first blog. Since then I'm committed to helping others avoid all the mistakes I've made along the way. Get one-on-one coaching and exclusive perks when you join my community on Patreon!Read More…